Ahmedabad, Jul 16 (PTI) The Gujarat government has launched a genome sequencing project for improving healthcare for tribal communities, an exercise spanning 17 districts of the state, a minister announced on Wednesday.
With this, Gujarat has become the first state in India to launch a tribal genome sequencing project, which will seek to understanding genetic health risks among adivasi groups and create a database, said an official release.
The announcement about the project was made by Tribal Development Minister Kuber Dindor after holding a meeting with experts and other stakeholders in Gandhinagar.
The project will be implemented by Gandhinagar-based Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRS) Under the scientific initiative, genome sequencing of 2,000 individuals from various tribal communities from 17 districts of Gujarat (out of total 33) will be carried out, said the release.
Dindor noted the project will prove to be a new milestone towards a prosperous and healthy future of tribal communities Through the pioneering project, it will be possible to identify genetic markers of innate immunity, cancer and other hereditary diseases such as sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia among tribal groups. In addition, their health profile will be linked to basic health services, said the release.
During the meeting, experts discussed the importance of genomic information for improving healthcare for tribals, it said.
Under the project, state-of-the-art equipment will be used in all stages, from physical collection of samples of tribal communities to data analysis. The goal of the comprehensive exercise is to create a reference database for tribals of Gujarat, the release added.
Genome sequencing of people is the process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an individual. This comprehensive scientific tool provides insights into a person’s genetic makeup, including variations that may be associated with diseases. PTI PJT RSY
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